Why is North Korea holding elections?

YOU’LL likely recognise North Korea as a dynastic totalitarian dictatorship – and you would be dead right in that summary. But what may surprise you is that every four or five years that same dictatorship holds nationwide elections; after all, they need to live up to their full name – the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). When authorities call them “elections,” they do so in the loosest sense of the word. There’s no denying the fact the country is under dictatorial rule, with leadership passed down through the bloodline of the Kim family – current Supreme Leader being Kim Jong Un. So why is the government holding elections on March 10? And what exactly does “democracy” look like in the world’s most secretive autocracy. Why are they holding elections? The upcoming elections in March will be to elect new members of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), the highest body of state power who exercises legislative power. All 687 districts nationwide will head to the polls to vote for their candidate. Voting in the country is mandatory, which is not unheard of in other countries. Australia, Belgium, and Singapore, for example, all have a compulsory voting system in which citizens are legally compelled to turn up to a polling station. North Korean soldiers dancing after casting their votes in the election of deputies to the 13th Supreme People’s Assembly at Paektusan Constituency No. 111. March 10, 2014. Source: AFP/KCNA via KNS Defector Mina Yoon told the Telegraph elections are a time when everyone is watching for acts of defiance. People must register a month before the election and the government checks the list of voters for anyone missing, Yoon said. Anyone found missing not only risks themselves being sent to labour camps, known for their brutality, but their extended family... If you wish to read this full breaking news headline, plus more articles from around Thailand and Asia like, Why is North Korea holding elections?, simply click on
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